Joyce Meyer – Why Does a Good God Let Bad Things Happen?

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].— James 1:17

When we experience terrible tragedy, being angry with God is quite common. People frequently ask, “If God is good, all-powerful, and full of love for us, why didn’t He stop the thing that caused the pain?”

This is where Satan seeks to build a wall between God and the hurting person. He seizes the opportunity to say, “God isn’t good, and He can’t be trusted.” However, we know according to the Word of God, the truth is not in Satan—he is a liar and the father of lies.

Read James 1:17. Everything good comes from God. God is good, and He cannot be anything else. Furthermore, He doesn’t change. He’s perfectly stable, faithful and consistent. He is good—all the time.

It’s obvious that God doesn’t always stop tragedy, and we honestly don’t always know why bad things happen. First Corinthians 13:12 says …Now I know in part (imperfectly)… . We have to remember that faith will always require us to accept unanswered questions, and we must come to the place where we’re satisfied to know the One who knows all, and place our trust in Him.